Our work
Four ways CAN puts volunteers to work.
CAN organizes its volunteers around four pillars: advocacy and education, fundraising for the CISD Education Foundation, parent recruitment, and community expertise. Pick the one that fits your time and skills.
Jump to a pillar
Advocate, pillar one:
Advocacy & Education
We help the community understand how school funding works, then speak up for public education.
What we do
- Explain school funding. Plain-language facts on how CISD is funded, including the local taxes Texas sends to the state as “recapture.”
- Speak to local decision-makers. Most of our advocacy is aimed at the CISD Board of Trustees and district administration.
- Meet with state lawmakers. Regular meetings with Texas legislators so our message stays consistent, plus an annual CAN visit to Austin.
- Work with partners. We partner with Communities United for Public Education to support state legislation that helps public schools.
- Follow the 2027 bond. CAN is following the 2027 bond planning closely and will share its position once the board sets the final package. Coming soon CAN’s 2027 bond explainer.
What’s happening now
Fund, pillar two:
Sponsorship & Fundraising
We rally alumni, neighbors and local businesses behind the CISD Education Foundation (CEF).
CAN does not take donations. CAN is a volunteer group, not a nonprofit. Every gift goes straight to the CISD Education Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds grants and programs in Coppell ISD.
What we do
- Corporate sponsorships. Reach out to nearby companies for financial and in-kind support of CEF.
- Signature events. Help with golf tournaments and galas that raise money and bring the community together.
- Alumni connections. Connect CISD alumni with current students.
- Small, steady giving. Encourage small, regular gifts that add up over time.
- Endowment growth. Encourage lasting gifts that sustain CISD programs for years.
CEF runs its own campaigns, including Give for Grants and Run to Fund. Those are CEF’s programs; CAN volunteers help spread the word.
For local businesses
Sponsorships go to CEF, which lists its sponsors and sponsorship options on its own site. If you’d like a CAN volunteer to walk you through it, or your team wants to lend skills, tell us through the contact page.
What’s happening now
Enroll, pillar three:
Parent Recruitment
We help families in our area discover Coppell ISD and enroll.
What we do
- Support Cowboys United. Cowboys United is a district-wide Coppell ISD campaign. CAN parents volunteer to help it grow.
- Open enrollment outreach. Explain who is eligible for CISD’s Limited Open Enrollment, walk families through the process, and encourage them to apply.
- Word of mouth. Use our parent networks, simple outreach materials and neighborhood conversations to spread the word.
- Targeted outreach. Connect with families in the CISD area whose children attend charter or private schools.
What’s happening now
Connect, pillar four:
Community Expertise
We put community members’ professional skills to work for CISD.
What we do
- Local talent in action. Members give their time, skills and services to support CISD.
- An expert network. A directory of professionals, like CPAs, attorneys, engineers and HR experts, who are ready to help.
- Stronger committees. Experts bring specialized knowledge and hands-on help to district committees.
- Student career exploration. Partner with CISD and schools to help students explore careers and get hands-on experience.
Your privacy comes first. Sharing your skills is opt-in. We never publish members’ names or profiles; skills appear on this site only as totals, like the ones in our network in numbers.
What’s happening now
Pick a pillar and pitch in.
Five minutes or a few hours a month, there is a place for you.